Motorsport: Fanga Dan reigns despite bad start

Whangarei's Daniel "Fanga Dan" Woolhouse is back on top of New Zealand drifting winning the 2012/13 D1NZ National Drifting Championship Series.

Woolhouse clinched the championship in the final round at Taupo's Ricoh Motorsport Park on Sunday. He was champion in 2006.

The weekend didn't start well for Woolhouse, who had mechanical failure early.

"We only did quarter of a lap of the track on Saturday before the oil light came on we found we had a cracked oil pump. It took all night for my engine builder who came down from Whangarei to fix it, then just before qualifying, we did a diff," he said.

Woolhouse put the setback behind him and pipped title rival "Mad Mike" Whiddett (Red Bull/Speedhunters Mazda RX7) by half a point to top the standings in qualifying.

He then beat Hamilton's Bruce Tannock (Achilles Radial Nissan S13) in the Top 16, Drew Donovan (Mag & Turbo Tauranga Nissan S15 V8) in the Top 8 and Driftcorp teammate Gaz Whiter (Tectaloy Nissan S14 V8) in the Top 4 before beating defending champion Curt Whittaker (Autosure Warranties Toyota 2JZ/Nissan Skyline R34) to clinch the championship.

Having closed the series points gap on Woolhouse with wins at the Hampton Downs and Christchurch rounds Whiddett's challenge was quickly derailed in the battles, having a bye in the Top 32 before losing to Auckland drifter Zak Pole (Rollei HD Nissan R33).

On the way to meeting Woolhouse in the title clincher, Whittaker beat Pole in the Top 4. Pole took out third place.

V8 Supercar driver Shane van Gisbergen got into the Top 8 for the second time in as many rounds after qualifying seventh and ending up a season best sixth place for the round. The 24-year-old said his "toe-in-the-water" exercise this season has been a real eye-opener.

"It's certainly given me a better idea of it [drifting] and it is a lot more competitive and professional that I ever thought it was going to be. I knew the top drivers would be talented, but they are really good."